I've a lot of time for Kipling's story-telling art, which is most definitely
not to be looked down upon, one of my earliest memories is of reading 'Kim',
some of his poetry tho' I regard with extreme suspicion. Particularly the WW
I poems. Poisoned perhaps by the death of his son. Shooting deserters in
couplets. Which are even more unsettling for being nastily effective at
times.
Also perturbed that if they were say translated inscriptions on fallen
Spartans I'd respond more favourably.
david b
----- Original Message -----
From: domfox <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, February 19, 2001 8:01 PM
Subject: Re: (unfashionable!) Kipling
> Whose joke was it about the verb "to Kipple"? And what was the joke?
>
> If I were to say that Kipling was one of my guilty pleasures, that would
> make me sound pleased with myself for indulging in something that more
> morally strait-laced people considered delinquent or illicit. And I hate
> people who sound like that; especially since what they're defending is
> usually something heartless and crass like foie gras or adultery. All the
> same, I do think he's a fantastic writer: not often heartless and crass,
at
> any rate, and often burningly the opposite of both.
>
> - Dom
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